A key problem in today's home mortgage industry is created by unethical appraisers working under pressure to "hit specified numbers" in their appraisals. This often results in inflated property values that are, in many cases, much higher than realistic market values. This can ultimately cause major problems for home buyers who could be paying on a mortgage that's larger than their property's true value. That's a common scenario that leads to foreclosures. It can also ... [full story]

Individual Retirement Accounts may be simple, but they continue to befuddle investors. My recent column on IRAs prompted lots of questions. In fact, I get almost as many e-mails from IRA columns as when I trash annuities. Here are some more IRA questions: Q: What are the tax consequences for moving cash from a nondeductible IRA to a Roth IRA? A: Before reading last week's column, I'm sure most readers had never spent even a ... [full story]

THE CHEF Let's face it. No one who works can cook gourmet meals every night. In today's fast-paced, multitasking environment, it's tempting to get takeout or just plunk something in the microwave. If you're in that kind of a rut, Food Network's Robin Miller is here to help make your culinary life a bit easier and healthier. "We all lead frantic lives," she writes in her new cookbook, "Quick Fix Meals" (Taunton Press and the ... [full story]

Q: We are worried because our veterinarian told us that our puppy needs to have surgery to repair a heart defect. Our veterinarian has referred us to a veterinary teaching hospital associated with a college of veterinary medicine where a veterinary cardiologist and a surgery specialist practice. Our veterinarian has tried to comfort us by saying that the surgery is routine and that the survival rate is high. Even though we have had our dog ... [full story]

Headed uphill on a fairly steep on-ramp, I spied a gap ahead in the heavy freeway traffic. I gave a good goose to the throttle on the new BMW K1200GT sport-touring motorcycle and aimed for the gap. I ended up a good quarter-mile ahead of where I'd intended to go. Good grief! What powers this thing?   NEW BMW - The new BMW K1200GT is a motorcycle for all seasons. It has optional heated seats, handgrips and electronic ... [full story]

Tee up anywhere between four to eight balls in a row, about 6 inches apart (see photo). Stand about 2 feet away from the first ball and take some practice swings without stopping between swings.  The club is swinging freely back and through.  Once you have established this consistent rhythm, take a step forward (without breaking the rhythm) and hit the first ball.  Without stopping, move up to the next ball and hit it, ... [full story]

What's it worth to an enthusiast to get behind the wheel of an exotic car for a few hours? Apparently, plenty. Luxury car rental agency San Diego Prestige is charging $999 per driver, plus a $10,000 security deposit, for half-day tours that feature 30 minutes of driving time in six fast cars. The tour has proven so successful that the company has added a second shift to the monthly events.   SUPER TOUR - The Supercar Tour makes ... [full story]

MEDTRONICA The Nutrition Source www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/ Produced by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, this Web site offers a solid menu of information on how to eat healthfully, with sidebar analyses of the latest health news and trends. BODY OF KNOWLEDGE When you touch a hot stove, your body doesn't wait for nerve signals in your fingers to reach your brain and come back with a response. To keep you from ... [full story]

For fans of The Who, last year's "Endless Wire" represented the English rock band's first album of new songs since "It's Hard" in 1982. But for Pete Townshend, The Who's guitarist, sometime singer, principal songwriter and all-around creative visionary, "Endless Wire" represented nothing less than life or death for the London band he has led for more than 40 years. "I could not have done any more, and made it very clear that I would do ... [full story]

Ron Wells was curious. What if he retired from teaching after 36 years, let others lead biology, physics and chemistry lectures, and what if Wells focused on Wells, seeing just how fit and fast he could become? "I wanted to see what a 60-year-old could really do," Wells said. Incredible feats, it turns out. Wells retired in June, started a fanatical training program in August and come December, at the USA Track & Field National ... [full story]